Star, moon, night.
In the distance, a cold crow rose with a hoarse, eerie cry before fluttering away.
The air was fresh and empty, with faint traces of light falling on the asphalt road, guardrails, and sparse traffic, lending this vast world a sense of security born from civilization.
Yet if the late-night drivers had been perceptive enough to fix their gaze on the highway signs guiding their way and spent some time adjusting to the darkness, they might have faintly discerned a presence detached from the silhouettes.
The night breeze carried a slight chill, rustling black robes as a pair of golden eyes ignited within a silhouette that burned quietly like black flames. The young man reached up to remove his hood, revealing white hair as cold as frost in the night. He gazed at the faint horizon, lost in silence for a moment before suddenly letting out a sigh.
"To think the Black Faction would become so turbulent so quickly..."
The awakening and escape of the homunculus âSiegâ marked the acceleration of the warâs progression. No longer were the Red and Black Factions merely probingânow they were mobilizing their forces, engaging in wave after wave of assaults.
Take, for instance, the Red Berserker still charging toward the Black Factionâs fortress, or the nearing completion of Semiramisâ âHanging Garden of Babylon.â Or perhaps... the Ruler, Jeanne dâArc, who had descended due to the irregularities of this Holy Grail War, wielding absolute command over the Servants.
At this very moment, Sakatsuki stood in the cold wind, waiting silently on the Transylvanian highwayâthe only national road leading to Trifas.
Originally, the plan had been to lay preparations here after investigating the Greater Grail, setting the stage for Jeanneâs arrival the following night... But thanks to Chironâs interference, Sakatsukiâs magical energy had been completely drained, and recovery would take no small amount of time.
The plan for an early ambush had to be abandoned, though it wasnât without its gainsâReika, the first to discover and entrust the homunculus to Astolfo, had already stepped into the heart of the Black Factionâs undercurrents. No matter what happened, she now had the convenience and right to involve herself.
In contrast, the âRed Factionâ he belonged to...
As he moved in spiritual form, Sakatsuki let out a bitter laugh in his heart.
Perhaps because he himself was part of the âconspiracy,â Amakusa and the Empress were unusually wary of him. Even when he deliberately exposed himself to the familiarsâ sight, Amakusa showed no intention of contacting himâas if Sakatsuki had been completely forgotten.
Was the method of joining too aggressive...? No, if it hadnât been this way, Amakusa would never have agreed to his participation in the first place.
In the span of a fleeting thought, Sakatsuki reached a conclusion.
If he was going to be radical, he might as well commit to it fully.
Approaching the leyline, Sakatsuki accelerated his magical energy recovery, his golden eyes shining like stars.
Next, he was going to do something risky.
***
Among the seven magi selected by the Clock Tower to subjugate Yggdmillenniaâone of them, the overseer sent by the Holy Church, Father Shirou, knelt respectfully before the five Masters.
Just like the throne room, Shirou and the Masters were separated by a considerable distance. Not only that, but a thin curtain was drawn before the five figures. Shirouâs vision was obscured, allowing him to only vaguely discern silhouettes.
"...Report."
Shirou spoke fluently as he reported to the Masters beyond the thin curtain: "...The battle situation is entirely in our favor. Of the seven enemy Servants, five have already been eliminated, while all seven of ours remain unharmed. The fleeing Masters have also been captured. Awaiting further instructions."
Amakusaâs words were so fantastical that anyone hearing them would surely laugh. Yet before long, muffled laughter arose from the Red Masters.
"Kill them, kill them, kill them, of course. Weâll take the heads, and throw the bodies to the wild dogs. The rotting entrails are uselessâonly the heads are needed for the bounty."
No one questioned whose heads these were, nor did anyone bother to clarify how they had defeated the enemy. Reveling in their hollow victory, Amakusa seized the moment to press further:
"...Understood. By the way, have you considered my earlier proposal?"
Silence fell beyond the curtain. Unlike the outright rejection last time, there now seemed to be room for consideration.
"We trust you. But itâs unnecessary. As Masters, we must command those Servants."
"I will take on that responsibility. There is no need for concern."
"...So you mean itâs no longer necessary, is that it?"
This question carried an emotion never before presentâone Amakusa did not overlook.
Timidity, or perhaps war-weariness, and the relief of shifting responsibility onto anotherâ
"Of course."
Hearing Amakusaâs firm words, hushed whispers broke out behind the curtain. The white-haired priest remained kneeling, awaiting orders.
"...Never mind, itâs still too dangerous. For safetyâs sake, itâs better to stay dispersed."
"Understood."
"For safetyâs sake," they said. After all, it wasnât something they could simply hand over to another. But without a valid reason, they couldnât outright refuse the proposal. The common sense within their ranks was on the verge of collapseâjust a little more push would do, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada concluded.
"Then I shall take my leave. Please, enjoy your discussions."
After bowing, Amakusa stood and departed. The Masters hidden behind the curtain immediately resumed their idle chatter. Even skilled magi, if devoid of their human side, could never blend into the world. As they rambled about magecraft and life experiences, they truly reveled in peace.
...Even if it was a false peace, steeped in poison and deceit.
No, itâs better to push the situation a little further... Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, the mastermind behind it all, pondered as he strode toward the door, leaving these terminally corrupted Masters behind.
Sikera Usum, the Wine of the Arrogant KingâAnti-Army Noble Phantasm, Rank B+.
As the most ancient poisoner, Semiramisâs second Noble Phantasm could not only imbue various attacks with poison attributes but also taint the very air and magical energy itself. Any substance that could be called âpoisonâ could be realized through this Noble Phantasm.
ââThe illusion that plunged the Red Factionâs Masters into delusion, distorting their reason and perception, was undoubtedly a form of poison.
This Noble Phantasm was one of the reasons Amakusa had summoned Semiramis, and the very foundation of his confidence in commanding the great heroes with ease under the guise of the "Red Factionâs leader."
As he pushed open the door, the sound of a heated argument immediately interrupted Amakusaâs thoughts. His gaze shifted forward, where his Servantâthe bewitching Empress clad in a black dressâstood firmly before the door, locked in a tense standoff with a young man also dressed in black robes.
Lord Sakatsuki?
A sense of foreboding rose in his heart. Amakusa quickly stepped to Semiramisâ side, silently questioning her with his eyes about what was happening.
"Thou hast arrived," Semiramis said, her rigid posture relaxing slightly, though her gaze toward Sakatsuki remained dark. "This one has been insistent on entering the room."
Entering the room? No, absolutely not.
In an instant, Amakusa understood why Semiramis was treating this as a dire threat.
Whether it was the blatant traces of poison in the room, the risk of Sakatsukiâan unpredictable variableâwaking the Masters, or his status as an envoy of the Mageâs Association, all of it meant this young man could not be allowed to cross this line under any circumstances!
"Lord Sakatsuki," Amakusa said, his voice measured, "I believe you are aware that barging into anotherâs room uninvited is a disgraceful act."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Faced with Amakusaâs wariness, the young man responded with an unshaken smile.
"I merely wished to meet the members dispatched by the Mageâs Association. Surely that isnât too much to ask?"
He knows?!
Amakusaâs heart lurched. Instinctively, he flicked his wrist, and the Churchâs standard armamentâBlack Keysâmaterialized in his grasp. Simultaneously, the Empress lowered her hands, readying herself for battle.
"How did you find out?"
"Did you truly think the Associationâs envoys wouldnât leave tracking charms with their clients?"
As he spoke, Sakatsukiâs expression hardened. The paired weapons, Kanshou and Bakuya, took the form of pistol-grips in his hands. With the crisp sound of their mechanisms loading, the twin blades were now aimed squarely at Amakusa and Semiramis.
"Step aside," Sakatsuki said coldly, "or I will cut you down myselfâthen rescue those pitiful, foolish Masters."
Under Sakatsukiâs pressure, the battle within the Red Faction was on the verge of eruption!
***
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